I see my colleague though a century hence

On both the first and second nights of the Vigil, Marshall Vian Summers laid out a roadmap of the future of the New Message from God, by giving four purposes for its existence.

“The first [purpose of the New Message from God] is the survival of humanity in the future, facing the Great Waves of change and the reality of the Greater Community of life in the universe, a universe where freedom is rare and influence is powerful.

Second, to prepare for our emergence as a free race into this Greater Community, for we are going there. It is coming here. It is happening. There’s no retreating to some pastoral life in the past. There’s no embracing some former imagined existence, some golden era that probably never was. We are going into this reality.

Third, to foster a greater intelligence in the world and the human family, to call forth the power of Knowledge that lives within each person and give them an opportunity to experience this, to discover it, and to develop it, for their own benefit and ultimately for the benefit of others.

And lastly, to keep this Knowledge alive in the world, where it can so easily die out, as it has died out in so many other worlds, or was never known to begin with.”

I stretch myself again in space and time.

I see my colleague, though a century hence. While Marshall’s words about the purpose of the New Message are very important, it was something else he said that sparked something in me. At the very end, he said,

“I ask you to affirm Knowledge in others, as I have affirmed Knowledge in you. I ask you to share Revelation with others, as I have shared Revelation with you. Seek for those who are searching, who are reaching, not for those who are asleep and cannot be awoken. They will come to you; you will find them. And you’ll be prompted to say something to them, as they’re standing next to you in line at the store, or wherever this might happen.

This is my testimony. It is being recorded for you, for those who are watching from afar and for those yet to come who knew, who will find out what the Messenger said to his people at the time of Revelation.”

What was sparked in me? I could clearly see in my mind’s eye a student of the New Message from God in the year 2119. A hundred years from now. They were watching this recording of the 2019 Messenger’s Vigil. They were nodding their head, taking encouragement and spiritual nourishment.

The New Message from God goes to great lengths to say that nothing is guaranteed. Humanity may not survive an increasingly difficult world. Humanity may fail to defend its freedom. Knowledge may die out in this world, as it has died out in so many others. Maybe what I saw was merely happy imagination or wishful thinking. But it’s something I haven’t seen until relatively recently. I see my colleague, though a century hence.

The poetry world is celebrating the life and mourning the loss of Mary Oliver, who died on Thursday, January 17 at the age of 83. Detailed obituaries have appeared in many places, including the New York Times and the Boston Globe.

A new voice which you slowly recognized as your own

Step 329 of 365 of Steps to Knowledge, “I am free to love the world today.” In the poem “Messenger,” Mary Oliver wrote “My work is loving the world.”

Part of the text of Chapter 5 of Greater Community Spirituality, “What is Human Purpose?”

A person who took the journey.

Steps to Knowledge is the book of spiritual practice of the New Message from God. A fellow student of Steps to Knowledge shared the following Mary Oliver poem with me as a description of the Steps to Knowledge experience. This poem is called “The Journey.“

One day you finally knewwhat you had to do, and began,though the voices around youkept shoutingtheir bad advice–though the whole housebegan to trembleand you felt the old tugat your ankles.“Mend my life!”each voice cried.But you didn’t stop.You knew what you had to do,though the wind priedwith its stiff fingersat the very foundations,though their melancholywas terrible.It was already lateenough, and a wild night,and the road full of fallenbranches and stones.But little by little,as you left their voices behind,the stars began to burnthrough the sheets of clouds,and there was a new voicewhich you slowlyrecognized as your own,that kept you companyas you strode deeper and deeperinto the world,determined to dothe only thing you could do–determined to savethe only life you could save

Step 75 of Steps to Knowledge, “Today I will listen to myself.”

She wrote of the journey. She took the journey.

“The Journey” is one of the relatively few Mary Oliver poems where audio of her reciting the poem is available.

Video of Mary Oliver reciting her poem “The Journey”

Did she accomplish her mission?

Mary Oliver near the end of her wild, precious life

I don’t know. Maybe she had an entirely different mission than loving the world. But I’m glad she loved the world. Maybe she had an entirely different mission than being married to amazement. But I say it was a fruitful marriage. She wrote of a new voice which you slowly recognized as your own. I say she heard that voice.

How will humanity successfully navigate an increasingly difficult world? A world of declining resources, affected climate, environmental degradation and extraterrestrial intervention? It seems to be important to look upon changing events without fear. However, that doesn’t seem to be sufficient. One hindrance to effective action seems to be ignoble motives.

Will the angels weigh my zeal?

Please tell us all of your vibrations. I heard this story about Horatius Bonar (1808-1889), Scottish preacher and hymnwriter, many years ago. I recently found it written in a 1919 book.

“Dr. Horatius Bonar once had a dream, it is said, in which the angels took his religious zeal and weighed it in the balance. It was full weight, plump one hundred. He was very much pleased. But when they began to analyze it in various ways, they found that fourteen parts [percent] of it were selfishness; fifteen parts sectarianism; twenty-two parts ambition; and that only three parts of it were pure love to man and only four parts of it pure love to God.”

Step 29 of Steps to Knowledge, “Today I will observe myself to learn of Knowledge.”

Let us examine ourselves

I am following a path sometimes called the Greater Community Way of Knowledge. This path frequently directs me to take an inventory of my thoughts and feelings on a particular subject. If I would effectively respond to an increasingly difficult world, I must identify and starve my less noble motivations. If I would be fit to engage with the purpose for which I came into the world, I must engage in some self-examination. I wonder if the angels will weigh my zeal, and in my mind’s ear, I hear, “Please tell us all of your vibrations.”

There is a part of me that knows no fear

“This question of honesty would seem to be hopelessly complex and difficult if it were not for the presence of Knowledge within you, for Knowledge is always honest, regardless of what it encounters. Knowledge is unafraid of anything. There is nothing in the world that can harm Knowledge. Therefore, the more you are allied with Knowledge, the more fearless you will become, the more secure you will become, the greater the sense of self and identity you will have, and the greater the sense of direction and relationship you will possess. This gives you the foundation upon which to expand your range of honesty and to receive its rewards in new and unexpected ways.”

Step 87 of Steps to Knowledge “I will not be afraid of what I know.”

Approaching Knowledge requires effort

There is a part of me that knows no fear. But fear is a part of the human experience. It takes some work to approach this fearless Knowledge. In the 365 steps of the book Steps to Knowledge, there are 11 steps at various intervals that address the subject of fear.

Step 41 – I am not afraid of the power of God.Step 51 – Let me recognize my fears so that I may see the truth beyond them.Step 87 – I will not be afraid of what I know.Step 128 – My Teachers are with me. I need not fear.Step 151 – I will not use fear to support my judgments.Step 152 – I will not follow fear within the world.Step 156 – I will not be concerned about myself today.Step 162 – I will not be afraid today.Step 226 – Knowledge is with me. I will not be afraid.Step 301 – I will not lose myself in anxiety today.Step 304 – I will not be a student of fear today.

Step 128 of Steps to Knowledge, “My Teachers are with me. I need not fear.”

How shall we respond?

I can imagine people reading this and thinking “Why don’t the students of this teaching become scientists and engineers? They could analyze and mitigate the effects of the changes they believe are coming.” Who knows, such a thing may happen in the future. I believe we are becoming more literate regarding various solutions. But it’s hard to think clearly and productively if one is consumed with fear. There is a part of me that knows no fear. I hope and work to follow that part of me.

In the Book of Acts, the apostle Paul traveled on a cargo ship on his way to Rome to appeal his innocence to Caesar. Because of the time of year of the voyage, it was known there was a certain amount of risk involved. Paul warned against making the voyage, but was overruled by the decision-makers.

We must run aground upon some island

The ship was caught in a great storm. Despite the efforts of the crew, they despaired for their lives. At this point, Paul addressed the crew and passengers:

“After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.” (Acts 27:21-26, New International Version)

The book of Acts reports the ship ran aground on the island of Malta, and was destroyed. However, all 276 of the crew and passengers survived the shipwreck.

An iron bell is ringing

I share this Bible story because of what we contemplated at the 2018 Encampment of the New Message from God. We contemplated a “New World reality.” Humanity faces a future of declining resources, affected climate, environmental degradation and extraterrestrial intervention. As I pondered this New World reality, I heard the words of Paul in my mind’s ear. “We must run aground upon some island.” These words ring like a large iron bell in my head.

I realize this may seem very negative. But I wonder some things. I think other people wonder them. Is humanity’s pattern of resource consumption and environmental impact sustainable? Doesn’t any species that grows without limit die in its own poisons? “We must run aground upon some island.” I take consolation that the crew and passengers survived the shipwreck. I take hope and determination that humanity will survive its future challenges.

At the 2018 Encampment of the New Message from God, we engaged with the phrase “a New World reality.” The previous post addressed the “reality” part. This post addresses the “New World” part.

An increasingly difficult world

The New World is the title of the the soon-to-be-published Book 5 of Volume 1 of the New Message from God. I can imagine that some people read the words “New World” and think of great abundance and discovery. Flying cars, vacations on Mars, and so forth. But the New Message is speaking of a world where a 250-year period of explosive growth is coming to an end. The New Message is speaking of an increasingly difficult world. The chapters of The New World include:

I have written a series of posts on The Race to Save Human Civilization. I once thought these teachings spoke of events in the next hundred years or so. As I pondered these teachings at the 2018 Encampment, I reconsidered their time frame. There are relatively few references to events taking place by a certain time. But the New Message teaches that the previous revelation came roughly 1,400 years ago. These teachings may speak of things to come in the seemingly distant future. However, there are signs and harbingers in the world today. And yet, there are things that must be done now to prepare for an increasingly difficult world.

A world of declining resources

This phrase is used many times in the New Message from God to describe the human future. Another image frequently used to describe this is a growing number of people drinking from a slowly shrinking well. This could mean an absolute decline in resources. This could mean a decline in the amount of resources available for a given amount of money. I can understand the skepticism some people might feel, as certain warnings of declining resources in the past have not come true. But how long can the current arrangement last? A significant increase in the cost of energy would make for an increasingly difficult world.

A world of affected climate

The New Message from God uses this word to describe a climate affected by human activity to such an extent that the climate has begun to change on its own, in ways that will be less hospitable to human activity. The future climate will make for an increasingly difficult world. The future will have many more unexpected weather events. Agriculture will be disrupted by an unexpected climate. Because of this, some currently habitable regions will become uninhabitable. The sea levels will rise to a greater extent than that currently predicted by any scientist. I realize I sound a lot like the doom-mongers I have mocked in the past. But I believe these events are taking place over a longer time-frame than most scientists or politicians consider.

A world with a deteriorated environment

The New Message from God teaches that humanity has affected the chemistry of the atmosphere, the waters and the soils. And not in a good way, either. Therefore, there will be a great deal of work to be done in the future of cleansing the atmosphere, the waters and the soils. There will be a great deal of work to be done in the future of lightening humanity’s environmental impact. All this will make for an increasingly difficult world.

A world facing intervention

The New Message from God teaches that humanity is facing intervention from extraterrestrial races. This intervention is directly related to humanity’s destructive patterns of environmental use and consumption. Suppose an isolated tribe in the world were discovered to be destroying their environment. Some nation might feel they were doing that tribe a favor by intervening. Humanity is in that situation now.

An increasingly difficult world

I realize this is a collection of negative predictions for humanity’s future. However, I take consolation that a warning is being given with directions for preparation. The good news is that the bad news isn’t all the news. The Book of Proverbs declares “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.” (Proverbs 27:6, King James Version). How shall we prepare? That’s for another post. But the “New World reality” of the New Message from God is a future with an increasingly difficult world.

At the 2018 Encampment of the New Message from God, one of the phrases we engaged with was “a New World reality.” There’s quite a bit packed into that phrase. I plan to unpack this in two posts. This post is about the word “reality.”

Consider the new reality of Copernicus, for instance. Most people at that time felt quite happy with the sun and the planets revolving around the earth. It was plain common sense at the time. The existing reality was plausible. And yet, there were a few people who were unhappy that the planets should sometimes seem to go backwards in their orbits. Most people didn’t think about it at all. Most people didn’t feel any dissatisfaction with the planets occasionally demonstrating retrograde motion. After all, the planets had sometimes been going backwards in their orbits for a long time. It was just part of the way things were. People who were unhappy with the planets occasionally demonstrating retrograde motion were dismissed as cranks and troublemakers.

But the new reality of Copernicus was confirmed by observation. It explained people’s common-sense experience of the sun seeming to revolve around the earth. It also explained why the planets sometimes showed retrograde motion. The new reality explained everything the old reality explained. The new reality also offered a simpler explanation of certain things than the old reality. It is the nature of a new reality to face bitter opposition. After all, some people literally felt as if their whole world was being threatened. While some people deeply yearned for the earth to be the center of the universe, the new reality of Copernicus eventually prevailed.

A new reality doesn’t happen every day. Consider the new reality of Einstein, for another instance. General Relativity solved the problem of Mercury sometimes appearing to be where it wasn’t expected. But it did so much more than that. General Relativity addressed the phenomena of gravitational lensing and time dilation. The new reality addressed problems and opportunities humanity wouldn’t encounter until much later.A new reality doesn’t happen every day. Consider the new reality of quantum mechanics. I make no claim to understand quantum mechanics. I believe it holds promise for great advances in both communication and computation. I believe it will help us in situations we have yet to encounter. All I know is that it is a new reality. Like the new reality of Copernicus and the new reality of Einstein, it has been met with bewilderment and opposition. And yet, it has endured and progressed to this day.

A new reality doesn’t happen every day. The New Message from God proclaims that the Messenger, Marshall Vian Summers, brings a new reality. Could that be true? Is that true? If it is, then it has great consequences.

The worldwide community of the New Message from God recently gathered in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado for the 2018 Encampment. The Encampment has been an annual event from 2008 to 2016. It is now being held every two years. I have attended the Encampments in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018.

I have been called, others are being called

As religious gatherings go, all the Encampments have been relatively small events. The 2018 Encampment had the most attendees of any Encampment. I take particular happiness in the fact that people gathered from 26 different countries. This is also the most of any Encampment. We may be a small community, but the phrase “worldwide community” is not an idle boast. In fact, we may be the most geographically dispersed spiritual community of our size in the world.

I have been called, others are being called. The average age of Encampment attendees could be said to be “middle-aged.” And yet, at every Encampment there have been some people attending of a younger age. I have taken great encouragement in this for the future progress of the New Message from God. I recalled a portion from Step 309 of the 365 steps of Steps to Knowledge. Steps to Knowledge is the book of spiritual practice of the New Message from God. Step 309 is “The world I see is attempting to become one community.”

“Remember, you have been called and you are responding to your one true purpose. In time, others will be called and they will respond.”

I didn’t think of myself as responding to a call, when I resumed my study of Steps to Knowledge in 2010. I thought of myself as looking for a way to frame the events of my life, that didn’t hurt. But between then and now, my engagement with the New Message from God looks more like a response to a call. I don’t have a certificate of any kind saying I have been called. All I have is many small confirmations and ratifications. All I have is many instances of taking the next step, doing the next thing, showing up again. Many of my fellow attendees report similar experiences.

I have been called, others are being called. I look at this Encampment and see many people I have only known online. I look at this Encampment and I see people I have never met before, online or otherwise. I look at this Encampment and think to myself “Others are being called, and they are responding.”

“I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation.”

Like sugar in milk of the world’s religions

The religion he refers to is Hinduism. The “grand Zoroastrian nation” is the Sasanian Empire. The Sasanian Empire ruled modern-day Iran and many neighboring regions from 224 AD to 651 AD. When the empire was overthrown by the Arab Caliphate, a small remnant fled by sea to India. They stayed in Diu in Saurashtra State for 19 years, then moved further south along the coast to Gujarat. There, they approached the local king, Jadi Rana, and requested asylum.

A Zoroastrian legend relates the course of the initial meeting between Jadi Rana and the newly landed emigrants. When the Zoroastrians requested asylum, Jadi Rana motioned to a vessel of milk filled to the very brim. This was to signify that his kingdom was already full and could not accept refugees. In response, one of the Zoroastrian priests added a pinch of sugar to the milk. This was to show that they would not bring the vessel to overflowing and indeed make the lives of the citizens sweeter. Jadi Rana gave shelter to the emigrants and permitted them to practice their religion and traditions freely.

This legend is recorded in the Qissa-i-Sanjan, (The Story of Sanjan), an epic poem written in 1600 CE. It was written by a Zoroastrian (Parsi) priest named Bahman Kaikobad (or ‘Bahman Kaikobad Hamjiar Sanjana’). This poem was translated into English in 1844. Many members of the Parsi community perceive the epic poem to be an accurate account of their ancestors. The Indian government reported that there were 57,000 Parsis in India in 2011. I believe the Parsi community has indeed been like sugar in milk. It has contributed successful individuals to the life of India, including Feroze Ghandi, Ratan Tata and Freddie Mercury (Farrokh Bulsara).

Like sugar in milk of the world’s religions. I share this story to illustrate my hope for the New Message from God in my lifetime and in the times to come. On the one hand, the New Message proclaims itself to be a revelation on the same order as the teachings of Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed. If such a thing is true, then I would desire it to become well-known throughout the world. On the other hand, the New Message itself teaches how it has not come to compete with the religions of the world, but to uplift them. This is in the revelation “God Has Spoken Again.” (Volume 1, Book 1, Chapter 4 of the New Message from God)

“The world has changed. God’s great Revelations must now be given the next stage of their expression—not to replace them but to uplift them and to cleanse them and to bring them into harmony with one another. They are all pathways to Knowledge, you see. That is what they really are.

They have been turned into other things by governments, by individuals and institutions, by nations seeking power and dominance. They have been alloyed with culture and customs and local perceptions to a point where their essential emphasis and purpose can be difficult to discern.

This is to bring people back to the essence of spirituality, which is the power and the presence of Knowledge in the individual, the power and the presence of Knowledge—this greater intelligence that God has given to each person, working through groups and nations of people, supporting freedom and forgiveness, recognition, communication, work, effort, responsibility.”

The Parsis were like sugar in milk, sweetening the life of India. It is my sincere hope that the New Message from God is like sugar in milk of the world’s religions.

Source Documents

God Has Spoken Again
God is speaking to humanity anew, proclaiming a warning, a blessing and a preparation for a new world reality.

The One God
A book of revelation that provides a new understanding of the nature and reality of God and God’s Plan and Purpose in the world and in the Greater Community of life in the universe.

The New Messenger
A book of revelation regarding the origin, lineage and mission of the Messengers of God who, at different times in human history, have entered the world to receive and present New Revelations for humanity.

Relationships and Higher Purpose
Taking you beyond the normal parameters of human relationships to a deeper experience of union, purpose and meaning with those individuals with whom you share a greater destiny in life.

Steps to Knowledge
Taking you on the journey of discovering Knowledge, the mysterious source of your inner power and authority, given to you by God to guide and to protect you.

Living the Way of Knowledge
The New Message Teaching on how to bring the grace, the guidance and the power of Knowledge into the Four Pillars of your life: The Pillar of Relationships, The Pillar of Work, The Pillar of Health and The Pillar of Spiritual Development.

The Great Waves of Change
A prophecy of the difficult times ahead and the steps you can take to navigate an increasingly turbulent and uncertain future.

How Posts Are Organized – Как организуются сообщения

2) If a post is tagged with a given tag, it means either a) that post is part of a thread where all the posts in the thread have that tag (like "2012 Encampment" for example), or b) that an out-of-the-ordinary person, place or thing was referenced in the post (like "Boulder" for example)

4) Most of the posts written before August 2014 are related to the book "Steps to Knowledge," but were not tagged as such. A tag of the form "Step #" such as "Step 10" means the post with that tag is related to Step 10 of the 365 steps in Steps to Knowledge.